Uganda and Russia have signed an intergovernmental agreement to cooperate in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 63rd General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in Vienna, Austria, on Tuesday.
The document establishes the basis for practical cooperation between the two countries. In the words of the press release, the agreement “meets all modern requirements”.
It provides for joint work regarding the development of nuclear infrastructure in Uganda, and the production there of radioisotopes for medical, agricultural and industrial applications. It also covers education and training.
It was further agreed that industry experts from the two countries would participate in exchange visits and that focused work groups would be set up. These work groups would, among other things, look at the construction of a nuclear science and technology centre in Uganda, which would be centred on a Russian-designed research reactor.
For Uganda, the agreement was signed by the country’s Minister of State for Energy and Mineral Resources, (Ms) Muloni Irene Nafuna. The Russian signatory was Rosatom deputy director-general and International Activities director Nikolay Spassky. Rosatom is Russia’s State-owned nuclear energy corporation.